Claire’s Inspiration: Leymah Gbowee

Born in a village in central Liberia in 1972, Ms Gbowee, currently the head of the Ghana-based Women Peace and Security Network (WPSN), was soon exposed to two civil wars that affected her country from 1989 until 2003, when peace was achieved. Deeply affected by the violence, she trained as a trauma counselor, working among girls and women raped by militiamen.

Ms Gbowee also thrust herself into political activism, rallying women to campaign for an end to the violence in Liberia. Her crowning achievement came in 2003 when she brought thousands of women together to protests in the capital, Monrovia, helping to push Mr Taylor – who is now on trial at The Hague on war crimes charges – out of power and end the conflict.